It Was A Very Good Year

So Saturday was my birthday. It's kind of fun for a birthday to fall on a weekend, I always feel like I can enjoy more of the day that way rather than work. I suppose I could take the day off, which I know a lot of people do. Maybe I'll start that tradition once Anna is older and I don't feel as though I need to save every spare vacation day in case she gets sick.

Edwin and I went out to Brasa, which has been proclaimed by many local publications to be the best new restaurant in the metro area. We did like the food, but it was far more casual than we were expecting. The location seemed to be a renovated garage, our water was poured into paper cups. Oh well. So we decided to head to Solera for dessert and a drink, and we ended up staying there the rest of the night after we ran into friends Jan and Ranveig who were also at Solera. We haven't seen them in a few months.

Before our babysitter arrived, I explained to Anna that Mommy and Papa were going out to dinner and she and Sasi were staying home with Phoebe. While I was rushing around, trying to finish getting dressed Anna came to me, a little bit upset. "Anna sad, Anna want to go with you!" she cried. Ohh, sweetie!

So far my New Year's resolutions are going okay. I haven't bought any books, I've cut back on snacking at work, no trips to Caribou, etc. But then again today is only January 28, I've got a long way to go!

Right now Sex and the City is playing in the background. I think I've seen all the shows since TBS started showing them, but of course they're all the tamer versions. I've never seen the unedited, uncut episodes. Some day, I guess. Maybe next time Edwin is out of town. Wouldn't that be a fun treat for while he's away?

I'm almost finished reading Eat, Pray, Love. It has been a light, easy, and at times a contemplative read. Oh, to rush off to live in another country when trying to mend your soul! I don't know that I'd choose India and Indonesia for destinations, I'm not that hardy a traveler, but Italy? In a heartbeat, definitely.

It's Cold and We Have Colds, Too

I had a cold a couple weeks ago that seemed to pass quickly and uneventfully. My voice got hoarse, but it was never painful and I continued to work through it. At around the same time Anna got a new cold, which last week took a turn for the worse and resulted in two trips to the doctor and a round of antibiotics that she finished tonight. She's back to sleeping through the night again, but it was a long haul for all of us and she didn't go to daycare all last week. One thing we learned--the Target brand cold medicines for kids work really well.

I've pretty much ignored all the so-called warnings that have come out recently regarding kids and cold medicines, fever medicines too. I'm not going to not give her something if there's a cold or fever medicine which could ease her symptoms. Of course I'll be careful and follow the directions. End of story. People are so quick to freak out, and never quite get around to hearing the whole story or reading the entire article when warnings like this come out. Over-dosing cold medicine is bad, not the medicine itself. And, it's easy to over-dose with a child when they need so little of it.

At the same time I stocked up at Target for Anna I stocked up on adult cold medicine, too, expecting I'd be the next one to need it. Wrong. Now Edwin has a cold, much to his embarrassment? chagrin? surprise? He's always lecturing me on what I should be doing to stay healthy, he doesn't quite know what to think when he gets a cold himself. Sure, it's a good idea to eat healthy foods with vitamins and minerals but that's not always enough.

Supposedly this horrible cold should be easing by the end of the week. Thank God! It's been going on long enough, wouldn't you say?

Speaking of horrible cold, what a crazy game the Packers had against the Giants Sunday night. I thought for sure the Packers would win and was happy for Brett Farve to have a chance to play in the Super Bowl again. I'm bummed for my Packer-fan friends. How in the world were fans able to endure the cold? I'm sure I'm out of the loop regarding all the warming devices out there, like all the possible hand warmers and battery-operated socks and that kind of thing. Despite the loss I'm sure all the people there for the game will enjoy telling the story, years in the future, of being at the game and what they did to stay warm. We started watching the game in the fourth quarter and saw the Giants miss their two field goals. I felt sorry for their kicker, to miss two in a row! Maybe a teammate or two told him "it's okay, there's next time" blah blah blah after missing the first, but two? In such a close game? The game which determines who goes to the Super Bowl? So I'm glad he eventually was able to redeem himself, but even then, what do you say? Probably nothing but breathe a sigh of relief and be thankful the Super Bowl is in Arizona this year and no place cold.

I'm Jealous of Knitters

I work with a few knitters ... one coworker even calls her blog Knittin Kninja (hmm, will have to check spelling on that!) and seems to complete a lot of projects despite work, a new baby, a dog, and a husband in law school. How, oh how does she do it? Sometime I must ask.

I did crochet a blanket for Anna, decoupaged the letters in her room, etc., but just haven't done as much as I thought I would for her. Sigh! Well, I do have her scrapbooks, the first year scrapbook almost completed, and the scrapbook after that has gotten a good start. I think now that I have some brand new vacation time to burn I will have to devote at least one day to this work.

So, my knitting coworkers talk yarn, patterns, what they're working on, what yarn shops to check out, etc. They give each other tips and advice, and help each other with tricky stitches. They're a tight knit group--ha ha! Maybe if I could find a simple, small project to make that could be my gift for my sisters at Christmas. I will have to devote some time to finding an easy pattern, there must be something out on the internet that would work for me.

Have You Seen My Willpower?

I swear, I have no willpower. None. Did I used to have any? I can't remember, to be honest. If I did, I haven't had it in a long time.

Maybe part of my problem is that I've always had the attitude that I can eat most of whatever I want, because I'd always be able to exercise any weight gain away. I've always had a sweet tooth--cookies, candy, chocolate, desserts generally I would never refuse. And, up until having Anna, I could go to the gym three times a week, keep up with the excess. Now it's all changed.

My work contact in Maryland was concerned during the summer--was I eating? She would ask. LOL! Oh yes, that's not a problem. Now I'm facing the results of my stressful summer, and trying to prepare better this time around for the pressure coming up. But I need willpower, and something other than food to reward myself as I make my way through a busy day, a busy week, a busy life.

I've got a few leads on websites which provide both information and motivation regarding healthy eating ... wish me luck!

A Few Bright Spots

I've had a few, random bright spots in my life recently that I'd like to share. Some are small, some are big, I think most women in general, and moms of toddlers can relate.

--Last night Anna used the potty again! For the most part we've just talked about the potty, and haven't consistently tried to get her to use it. In my mind, I think spring will be the time to make the big push with this, when Anna is wearing clothing that is lighter and easier for her to manipulate. But last night before her bath Anna asked to sit on the potty and peed a little bit! Yay! Now I have to think of how I'd like to do a chart, what kind of reward system to use with her so that when it's time that part of the training is ready to go.

--I did get the promotion and raise I desired, which became effective mid-December. I've been a little ambivalent about it. It's hard for me to be excited, knowing the temper tantrum I had to throw to get it, and knowing how others didn't have to go to those lengths. I think it's going to take me a while to get over that. It wasn't easy to suck it up and keep going into work every day, but I did. I even took on greater responsibilities at work during that time--crazy! I could go on and on but that would be unwise to do. Whatever. The nice thing is that my next raise will be based on my adjusted salary, so even if that's lame (they've basically been cost-of-living increases for everybody for the last couple years) at least it will be based on the higher income.

--I found a new style work pant that fits me wonderfully! It's like I've been on a quest since coming back from maternity leave. It hasn't helped for my weight to yo-yo. Anyway, there's an Ann Taylor loft store near me. Awesome sales at that store! And, I tried on the style pant named "Julie" and it fits me perfectly. Extra room in the hips and thighs, exactly where I need it. I bought a dark brown pair and a black pair and both pairs I've worn mulitple times already.

--I got to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit yesterday at the Walker Art Center! I have been wanting to go to it for some time, and it ends in about a week. I asked Edwin if he was interested in going to it, but he didn't care to as much as I did so I went yesterday while he took Anna and Saskia sledding. It was a great exhibit, lots to see. Several of her more famous paintings were part of the exhibit, and there was also a great number of pictures of her and Diego Rivera that she had kept through the years of her life. Yesterday happened to be a free family day, so I didn't have to pay to get into the exhibit. I did have to wait in a long line, but it was worth it.

--I'd hoped to also go to the movie Kite Runner yesterday but couldn't work it out. Instead, I went to Juno, which was a little lower on my list of must-see movies. I liked it a lot. I found Juno's constant smart-ass dialogue a little tiresome at times, but I appreciated the plot twist and appreciated the end of the movie. Plus, I couldn't help but think that if Juno were so smart and knew exactly who to call and what she wanted to do after she learned she was pregnant, why wasn't she as smart in keeping herself from getting pregnant in the first place?

--A few days before Christmas, a group of us from my new team at work went out to lunch. It was a balm, sunny winter day and we were all in a festive mood. My team coordinator had asked me for restaurant suggestions, and since she has a fascination for things Russian (Russian literature, anyway) I suggested Moscow on the Hill, a restaurant in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood of Saint Paul. It turned out to be a great idea, everyone was open to trying something off the menu, and it was fun to have an excuse to be in that part of Saint Paul again. It was really a nice time and we found lots of things to talk about other than work.

--My Christmas treats turned out well! Though, I didn't get any made before Christmas. Oops! Basically, I was in Caribou recently and they were selling bark and peppermint-covered pretzels. I bought one, liked it, and realized they were probably easy to make so I then bought the ingredients. I found vanilla instead of almond bark in case Edwin wanted any, and after some experimenting with the candy cane pieces (crushed by a hammer) I made a few dozen of the long pretzels. I still have lots in the refrigerator, I'll bring more to work soon.